How To Deal with Difficult People
Can we have a moment of honesty? I struggle with certain people.
I can connect and relate with most people, but every now and then I find a person who I would rather avoid. This could feel like a pretty vulnerable admission…but it isn’t, because I know you probably feel the same way. Right now you can probably picture one or two people you are inclined to avoid.
Now, let’s talk about that EGR for a second.
EGR = Extra Grace Required.
You see I am a flawed person, in need of patience and grace from those around me. I try to offer that same grace to others. When dealing with someone I find to be difficult, I’ve found I need to lean into “just a little more grace”.
How do you deal with difficult people?
In team environments and social settings, it is crucial that we find ways to work with and engage people even when it is challenging.
Having a healthy team does not mean everyone is friends. A healthy team is the result of people intentionally working together, even when personalities are challenging.
Here are 2 truths to help you deal with that Extra Grace Required person in your life:
Everyone has a backstory – the quirks and attitudes that drive you crazy did not come out of thin air. Knowing a person's story helps us gain empathy. It allows us to think of an EGR as a person instead of a problem. Working with difficult people starts by thinking of them as a person to understand instead of a problem to deal with.
Everyone has value – We are created in the image of God. “We” includes that person you want to avoid. When it comes to an EGR, we have to be intentional to remember that their value is not defined by my feelings. Every person who frustrates me or gets on my nerves is also a person Jesus chose to die for.
What if the presence of an EGR person in your life is meant to grow you, not frustrate you? What if those difficult interactions are more than a meeting to grit through? This could be an opportunity God is using to develop you personally. It could be that God is trying to expand your heart to see people the way He sees them.
